Chapter 7 – Realization
The door opened slowly for Jack, revealing a face he knew very well. A face he saw every now and then at school, but never really talked to or approached. After all, there was truly nothing else that could be said to that person.
Their past had enough to say, and Jack didn't want any more of it. Yet, as if fate itself wanted to mock him, the two faced each other on those stairs for the first time in a long while. They stared at each other for a few seconds, not uttering a single word.
Jack was a bit taken aback to see her of all people there. However, in the end, he closed his eyes and walked up.
"Took you long enough to open," he said calmly as he passed her and walked onto the rooftop, where everyone stared at him.
Jack was still carrying the black sword, and he looked like he was covered in blood—blood that wasn't his.
"Jack…" Luna snapped out of her daze as she looked over her shoulder. "You're alive…" she muttered.
"I sure hope I am," he replied sarcastically.
"Jack!"
Alex rushed toward him from the corner, lunging at him and hugging him tightly. "Thank God you're alive, man! I thought you died!"
"Hey, hey, get off me. Since when were we on hugging terms?" Jack pushed him away with an annoyed look.
"Haha, I was worried about you!" Alex chuckled. "But… wow, am I hallucinating, or do you look a bit different?"
"Different?"
"I don't know, something about you…"
Staring at Jack, Alex couldn't put his finger on it, but he could feel that his friend's vibe had changed quite a bit. He seemed more… powerful. His presence was stronger and more pronounced.
Then he saw the sword hanging by Jack's side and was surprised. "What's that in your hand?"
"Hm? This?" Jack raised the sword. "It's a really long story."
"What?"
"Where did you come from, kid?"
That was when one of the teachers cut them off as she stepped forward. She had a dark look on her face. "Did you get injured by one of those things?"
"No," Jack replied. "They didn't touch me."
"How were you able to get rid of the ones outside?"
"Hm." Jack frowned. 'It seems nobody here has realized that this system exists… Or maybe it's only for me? No, I highly doubt that. It didn't specify anything about that if it were the case.'
Jack was confident, but he wasn't delusional enough to think he was the only one to receive this Divine Records blessing. There were billions of people out there—he was but one of many.
"I can't really explain much because I don't understand it myself. But I was able to kill one of those things, and that gave me special abilities."
"Special abilities?"
The entire crowd stared at him as if he were crazy.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Special abilities? Jack, are you… okay?" Even Alex seemed completely confused.
"I'm fine. As I said, I gained abilities because of that. I was also given this sword as a reward for killing more of those things." Jack aimed at the black sword. "Do you think I have something like this casually lying around?"
"Woah…"
"Is he saying the truth?"
"Special abilities… like, like magic?"
"No way… what is happening?"
The reactions varied. Between skeptics and people in sheer awe, they stared at Jack as if he were some sort of alien.
"Why should we believe that?" the teacher asked. "What if you're a monster like them?"
"Sigh…" Jack rubbed his hair. "I don't know how to explain it to you. If you want to believe it, be my guest. If you don't, I don't care. There are more important things to deal with now."
"You…"
"The situation down there is not good at all. It seems the entire school has been infested," Jack said. "I was somehow able to make it in, but getting out is way harder. There are too many monsters filling the courtyard."
"Did you see any police cars?" one person asked.
"No, I didn't see any. However, I could hear sirens in the distance. The situation in the city is most likely not any better than here."
That was when, as if to prove his words, the entire group heard loud ringing noises echoing across the city—warning sirens that seemed to shake the entire place each time they rang.
Everyone looked in the same direction, shaken by the sudden noise. Then, phones started ringing as everyone pulled them out.
'Hm, they're sending us notifications now… Evacuation alert Level 3…' Jack mused as he read the message. 'If I remember correctly, that's the highest level of evacuation—the one where all citizens of the city have to escape.'
That was the last confirmation Jack needed. The entire city had indeed been invaded by these things, and their numbers were increasing rapidly. The sirens and gunshots in the distance grew louder.
Then, a few seconds later, helicopters flew over their heads, heading deeper into the city with their radios booming warnings and signals.
"It's the end of the world…" one muttered in despair. "We are all doomed."
Jack walked toward the edge and stared into the distance. He could see smoke rising from several places in the city as the sounds of cars screeching and people screaming echoed around. The world was changing rapidly before his eyes.
"What a mess…" he whispered.
"What should we do, Jack?" Alex asked.
"Hm, isn't it obvious?"
"..."
"All of you need to kill the Undead so you can start getting stronger and gain these special abilities. That's your only way of surviving," Jack replied.
"Kill? Are you joking?!" one student yelled. "Those are our friends! How can we kill them?!"
"Because you have no other choice. Unless you wish to die," Jack replied. "Or join them, in this case. Be my guest."
His response made everyone look away uncomfortably. They couldn't retort, as it was simply the logical answer. If they wanted to survive, they had to kill those things—or they would be killed. Those weren't their friends anymore; they were monsters.
"And how should we believe that it will grant us these special abilities you're talking about? Where is the proof?"
"Proof? I don't need to give you proof," Jack replied.
"Hah, so as I thought, you're just lying!" the man said as he stood up among the crowd. "Why are we even listening to a random student who clearly thinks this is some kind of fantasy of his—"
"Sit down."
Suddenly, Jack ordered coldly, his voice calm. The moment he uttered those words, the man fell to the ground almost instantly. Even he didn't understand what happened, his eyes widening in confusion.
"Wha—"
"What just happened?"
"Huh?"
Everyone looked at the man in confusion.
"Now slap yourself."
The man's hand rose in the air, and he smacked himself hard across the face with a loud sound, catching everyone by surprise.
"What the hell is going on?!!! I can't control my body!!"
"Do you believe me now?" Jack asked. "Or do you want to smack yourself again?"
"..."
The entire place went completely silent. Nobody could utter a single word in shock. It was real. What Jack said was real.
"Jack…" Luna stared at him, her eyes flickering with a myriad of emotions.
"Anyway, as I was saying, to gain such powers, you need to kill those things. The best targets are the weaker ones, and you should always aim to sever the head or pierce the brain," he explained. "I'll give you time to take that in and decide if you wish to do it or not. I'll be resting in the meantime."
Saying that, Jack turned around and walked to the other side, sitting down with a loud sigh.
'I'm exhausted…' he mused. 'And it seems I'll only get busier and busier very soon.'
"Jack! What was that?!" Alex rushed toward him. "How did you do that?"
"I just looked at him and used my ability," Jack replied.
"Wow! That is so cool! The way you made him smack his face! I can't believe such a thing exists!"
"Me neither… yet it does."
"So that's how you were able to make it here—you could just control them and kill them?"
"More or less."
"So cool…"
"You need to focus, Alex," Jack said calmly. "We can't stay here for long. The monsters down there will only get stronger and harder to kill the longer we wait. Are you ready to kill to survive?"
"..." The boy pursed his lips, a bit hesitant. "I mean… umm, I think I can… I won't be happy doing it. But I don't want to die."
"Can I join you two?"
At that moment, while the two were talking, a soft, melodic voice spoke to them, making them raise their heads. It was Luna, standing not far away.
"..." Jack's expression changed subtly.